Brian’s Story
Arrive was founded by Brian Ash, Dave Ippolito and James Hale in 2013. Brian first visited Africa in the summer of 2012, when at the age of 22, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Wanting to make the most of his international trip, Brian decided to visit Kenya for a volunteer experience. Within days of arriving in Kenya, Brian’s perspective on life changed as he witnessed the horrific situations that street children must endure to survive.
After Brian graduated from the University of Colorado in 2013, he sacrificed the comforts of his middle-class American life to live amongst the homeless, starving, orphaned, drug-addicted street children of Kenya. He couldn’t justify living his life knowing that young children were living and dying in dumpsters – completely and utterly alone. Hearing their stories and talking with them in Swahili, which he taught himself, made certain his passion to help these children wouldn’t perish. He then founded the organization which has since rescued countless street children, built two sustainable childrens homes in rural Kenya, and given them an opportunity for a second chance at life. Now living in a holistic, productive, and fun environment for the first time in their lives, while at the same time receiving a quality education, these kids know no boundaries for their future. They will become independent and contributing members of the same society that once tried to destroy them. All members of the Arrive administrative team are beyond proud to be a part of the solution in today’s world; to be helping to empower former street kids, orphans, and vulnerable children to live happy, fulfilling, and productive lives. People often ask Brian, “How long will you continue?” The answer is simple – until you can walk through any city on earth without seeing a child forced to live the most horrific and sad life imaginable – the life of a street child.